I'm not surprised. As of right now, I'm one of some that don't see SMitch as the coach to get us to the next level.

But, despite all the injuries and soap operas that we endured during the season we are still one of the teams that made the playoffs. Other GM's/teams would like to say that. I also enjoyed the idea that we made the playoffs. Even with the softest team in the NBA we made it! So, it would be hard to say that SMitch is a failed coach. I hold the players more responsible, as they are the ones that are on the court. If everyone played to their potential and at least made 50% FG we'd be laughing and SMitch would look like a genius. It's not like our players didn't have wide open looks.

And no one can really say if the team will respond/do better under a new coach. Under that scenario if the team fares worse in the next season everyone will be blaming BC or coming up with an excuse that the team needs time to adjust to a new system.

Having said that I will hold SMitch for not emphasizing and incorporating Defense into the team culture. Good defense doesn't necessarily need grit. And with all the inconsistent softies we have, we certainly needed good defense.

I suspect BC is going to give SMitch a chance to correct all those weaknesses with - hopefully - a healthy roster.

Remember how NJ released Byron Scott, even after he took them to the Playoffs. Where is NJ and Byron Scott now? I don't think BC wants to be made to look like a fool like NJ's GM. :-P

I'll say it again I'm one of some that don't see SMitch as the coach to get us to the next level, but I wouldn't mind to be proved wrong.

I watched BC on Raptors Tv and he was making an analysis of the season, and you can tell that he already have in his mind what to do to improve the team(defense and rebounding), he mentioned that one if not the mayor reason of failure of this team was the absence of Garbajosa, and to be honest I think that he is right, sometimes when you are missing a key player the whole structure get weaker, and regarding Smitch I agree with him in keeping it, we may get in more trouble if we bring somebody new who doesn't know how to communicate with the players or want to play them in a different way.

Well I know for sure if we had Garbo last year we would have beat NJ but this year I don't think we would have won this series.

Teams reflect their coach. I don't think Smitch is that bad but he needs to change his outlook on what he wants from our team. Can't win the big show if you can't grind out wins. We need an athletic big man that will play plenty of minutes.

Having said that I will hold SMitch for not emphasizing and incorporating Defense into the team culture. Good defense doesn't necessarily need grit. And with all the inconsistent softies we have, we certainly needed good defense.

I dont' agree with this part. If you look at the two years previous to last year Sam took the talent he had and made them score more. That didn't translate into wins and when Bryan gave him some smarter, more talented players last year he focused on defence and it did improve drastically. We went from 104 ppg against down to 99, and down to 97 this year...before Bosh got hurt we were at 95ppg against and all the other statistical averages like opp. shooting percentage , rebounds, opp. turnovers, our steals were better. That last month killed us.

I'm not saying we're a great defensive team but he has shown the ability to make average players defend a little better than average. It's still something to work and improve on but i dont' think it's fair to say he hasn't encorporated defense into the team's culture.

I love Garbo as much as the next Raptor fan, but I hardly think he should be considered the difference maker from last season to this season. Sure he would of helped in the toughness and grit category, but by no means do I think we'd be sitting any "prettier" had he been healthy this season.

He wouldn’t be without an NBA coaching job long. There is an intriguing chessboard of coaching moves that could play out this spring. The wild card could be the ever-deteriorating relationship between Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo and his coach, Sam Mitchell. Multiple sources describe a season of constant confrontations, with Colangelo relentlessly challenging Mitchell’s strategies and preparation and harsh handling of 2007 No. 1 overall draft pick Andrea Bargnani.

After the Raptors went down 3-1 to Orlando on Saturday, sources said Colangelo flipped out over learning that Mitchell played a round of golf the following day. Mitchell was left to wonder who snitched, and on and on it goes. They are such different people, with different backgrounds and Mitchell’s belief system, rooted in old-school American basketball, never has meshed with the GM’s Euro philosophy.

Colangelo told reporters in Toronto on Tuesday that he didn’t plan on making a coaching change “at this time,” an endorsement. For now, the two years and guaranteed $9 million left on Mitchell’s deal make him tough to fire.

Colangelo tried to lowball Mitchell on a contract extension a year ago, but the threat of the NBA coach of the year leaving Toronto for Charlotte or Indiana eventually earned Mitchell his extension. Yet New York Knicks GM Donnie Walsh loves Mitchell, an old Pacer, and is closely monitoring circumstances in Toronto. Walsh has been leaning toward Mark Jackson throughout his search process, but suddenly a five-game loss to Orlando in the Eastern Conference playoffs and the crumbling relationship with Colangelo could make Mitchell a candidate for a Raiders-Buccaneers Gruden-esque trade with the Knicks.

“Sam is the perfect guy to kick (Eddy) Curry and (Zach) Randolph in the ass and get something out of them,” a rival Eastern Conference executive said. “Donnie loves tough guys, and that’s why he loves Sam.”

A year ago, Colangelo had his eye on Marc Iavaroni, the Suns assistant, but who would’ve thought that Mike D’Antoni could become available? Colangelo hired D’Antoni with the Suns and constructed that roster, and they see the game through the international basketball prism. If Toronto is available as a soft landing spot for D’Antoni, perhaps he beats the posse out of the desert this year instead of next.

saying too many dudes are Tyson Chandler, trying
to lead their teams and went nowhere

Scarborough, We Go Hard..

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This is why I wouldn't be surprised to see a blockbuster deal in which Bosh is traded for a traditional centre and a star swingman, so that Bargs could be "nurtured", "coddled", or whatever you want so call it, and so he could play his natural position without fear of any reprocussions.. so he could stand out on the 3 point line and jack 3's all day, and not have to worry about being under the hoop to grab boards.